


First Date Headcanons! (x reader)

by Scribe_of_planes



Category: HZD - Fandom, Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game), h:zd
Genre: Alcohol warning, Dating, F/F, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Just kidding I love you, M/M, Okay NOW there's kissing, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reader-Insert, Suggestive Themes, Thanks Petra you made it more lewd >:(, absolutely tooth rotting fluff with talanah, at least a bit, but if I don't make content who will, gender neutral reader, headcanons, it's not a makeout sesh though, just sweet :), literally no one else cares this much about Inatut, no abuse of it but it's lightly mentioned, old one reader, old one! reader, unspecified gender, what's editing I don't know her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-14 07:35:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20597087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scribe_of_planes/pseuds/Scribe_of_planes
Summary: Headcanons for a first date with some npcs from Horizon Zero Dawn. Mostly fluffy. Like there's not even kissing. It's just cute 'kay? Also, this is my first fan work ever! I'm super nervous. (So any comments are greatly appreciated!) Requests are open!





	1. Inatut

**Author's Note:**

> *This was intended for an Old One Reader, but It includes hc’s that don’t necessarily require that*

  * When Inatut had first proclaimed how much he cared for you, you couldn’t help but giggle. You had only known the man for about a month and a half, but he seemed earnest and genuine, and that kinda made your heart swell.

  * You told him about the concept of “dating”, and while he didn’t quite get it at first, he became very nervous.

  * “Is it some kind of ritual?” “How long does it last?” “Months? Years?!” “What should I wear, is there a phrase I should say?” He was obviously freaking out, and you decided to put his mind at ease.

  * It was cool for late-afternoon, so you asked him to take a walk with you. You asked why he was so nervous about something you thought was so trivial. “I’m just always so happy when I spend time with you. It’s like nothing hurts and my belly is full. And..” His voice drops and he rubs the back of his neck. “Since I left my Werak, I don’t know where else I’d go.”

  * You assured him that even if the two of you weren’t romantically together, you’d always be there if he needed you.

  * After that the two of you talked about your lives. You loved the way he told stories, he was always so animated, and never afraid to tell the whole truth. It was nothing like the dry history lessons of the Carja. And goodness, you loved that smile of his, you could never fight back a grin of your own when he smiled at you.

  * At some point you mentioned how you’d never really seen more than a handful of stars, and he was shocked, especially since you had shared a few constellations with him. You shrugged, “That’s just what happens when you grow up in a big city, there’s too much light.”

  * After about two hours you had returned to your temporary home. You thanked Inatut for the date, and he was stunned. “You mean, that was a date?” “Yup!” You replied, “It’s that easy. Though next time you’ll have to think of something on your own.” You smiled and waved him goodbye, curious for what he would come up with.


	2. Nil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nil's turn! I know everybody loves this crazy guy (including myself), so I had to include him

  * Nil was hardly apart of the dating scene, and thought of him trying to court anyone almost made you laugh. You imagined him standing there with a big bouquet of flowers and asking you to go on some excursion. Ridiculous!
  * That doesn’t mean you didn’t spend any time together though. He would invite you to hunt bandits, and - much to his surprise- you would stick around after to swap stories and explain your latest wounds.
  * After a while you noticed that the two of you were much more comfortable around each other than before. He didn’t mind if you would hang off of his shoulder or stand close to him.
  * The two of you had even conducted what was meant to be an all night stake-out, and you woke up sitting next to him with your head resting on his chest and his arm looped around you. He woke soon after you, and though nothing was said of the moment, it still stuck in the back of your mind.
  * You were absent-mindedly making flower crowns with the nearby dandelions while you did your best to recount The Tell-Tale Heart. (horror stories brought Nil a special delight). Once you finished, you turned to your side and without thinking, dropped the crown on his head.
  * He was confused, and you apologized, embarrassed. He assured you that he didn’t mind, and continued to wear it.
  * The next time you saw him, about a week later, you laughed because he was still wearing the wilted crown. You explained that flower crowns weren’t meant to be worn for long, though you were kind of impressed that he had kept it from falling apart.
  * He smirked and took your hand, pulling you into the wilds, “I guess you’ll have to make me another one then.”


	3. Erend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alriight, It's this big dork's turn!

  * Erend gets it, you want to hang out with him. Who wouldn’t? He’s a fun guy!
  * Erend knows two things for sure. The first; that everyone loves to eat. And second; the best bar in Meridian is just down the road.
  * He’s still a gentleman, even at a bar, so he offers to pay for you. In fact, he insists that he pays for you, and no amount of griping will change that.
  * He also shows you some games throughout the evening. You beat him by a landslide in darts, but he was quite a bit more drunk than you.
  * He walks you home, even if it’s a bit more of a stumble, and invites you to come out with him again sometime.
  * Though if a quiet romantic evening was what you had in mind, you’d have to tell him that.
  * Instead he would take you on a picnic, and fill the basket full of sweets and sandwiches.
  * The food is pretty good, but it’s nothing compared to the view from the mesa.
  * Your eyes are fixed on the sunset when he nudges a cookie into your hand and sits beside you. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” He takes a swig from his water. “I used to come out here all the time before I was captain. I’ve been too busy to come back out since.” He turns to face you and he smiles. “I guess I could find some time for you though.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also on the docket: Talanah, Petra, and Avad.


	4. Talanah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talanah decides to take you out hunting for your date, and you have a chance to show off, or will your nerves get the better of you?

  * Talanah was overjoyed to go on a date with you, she loved spending time with you, and the idea of being romantic with you set her heart aflutter.
  * Setting it up was a bit of a struggle, as it was hard to pull her away from the duties of Sunhawk.
  * You had arranged to meet her in the lodge, where she was waiting on the balcony overlooking the Sundom.
  * When you approached she beckoned for you and put her arm around your waist. She gestured at the rain forest far below the city. “I know every metal beast that stalks the forest, and I’ve felled each one.” You couldn’t help but cringe, you figured this is what she had planned for today, “I guess we’re going hunting today, aren’t we?”
  * She clapped a hand on your shoulder and smiled wide, “Oh don’t act like that, you know you need the practice, your aim is terrible. You feigned hurt, placing a hand on your heart, “I took down a sawtooth just last week!” “That’s true, but you didn’t see the broadhead charging straight for you either.” “I thought that was what you were there for?”
  * She laughed and turned toward the door, she began to walk out, with you tailing behind, “Don’t worry, with me training you, you’ll be one of the best in no time!”
  * She took you to a group of lancehorns near Brightmarket, which had recently moved in and were disturbing some farmers. “I thought we’d take it easy for our date, but that means you must be precise!”
  * You couldn’t help it though, you were so nervous, and you could feel her eyes staring at you.
  * You arms must have been shaking because she sighed and took hold of your hands in yours. “You must relax.” Guiding your hands, she pulled the bowstring back and aimed at the Lancehorn’s lens, pressing her body into yours. “Hunting is about control. Control over your prey. Control over your body. And control over the situation.”
  * You took a deep breath and she slowly released her grip and backed up, when you let the arrow loose it sunk neatly into the center of the lens, and the Lancehorn fell over, the light fading from its body. Spooked, the rest of the herd fled back from where they had come.
  * “Yes! Just like that! I knew you had it in you!” You were smiling ear to ear, but you weren’t much focused on your successful hunt. You turned to her. “Now did you really take me out here to practice hunting, or was it to do that?” She smiled innocently, “To do what?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like the only reason any one of us know bow terminology is because of the Hunger Games trilogy, at least that's my reasoning.


	5. Petra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petra's turn! Goddamnit Petra you upped the rating.

  * Petra was more than understanding when you told her about dating. She herself was a bit afraid of becoming trapped in a relationship she didn’t want a part of.
  * However, she was Oseram, and her idea of a date was more about showing off to you.
  * When you approached her at her workstation in Freeheap, she seized your forearm and led you to a table full of scrap metal and blueprints. In the middle laid what looked like a hand-held cannon.
  * As you drew closer you recognized as the weapon Petra had been talking about practically since you met her. It was the size and color she had described it was, and when she motioned to you to lift it, you realized it was just as heavy as she had said too, and nearly dropped it on your toes.
  * Luckily Petra wasn’t far from you and rushed to your aid, helping you lift it at hip level.
  * “Careful now! She’s a one of a kind.” She patted your shoulder, having steadied you and the cannon.
  * You were confused, you had heard of the canon’s involvement in the liberation of Meridian and the battle against the Eclipse from Petra herself. “I thought you said there were half a dozen other canons?” She shook her head, “Yeah, well a true Oseram’s work is never done, and I keep tinkering and tinkering.” You grunted. “Well I think your tinkering has added about ten pounds to the thing.”
  * Petra barked a hearty laugh and took the canon from you, setting it gently back on the workbench. “You’re gonna have to be stronger than that if you plan on wrestling me around.” You blushed, and let out a nervous yet pleased chuckle.
  * Your eyes wandered to the heap of metal outside the settlement, and the smile dropped from your face. Petra frowned, “What’s the matter? You’ve never lost your fire like that before.” You sighed and tore your eyes from the metal and back to Petra. “When we first met -when you first learned I was an Old One anyway- you commented on all the trash we threw away. What do you think of that now? Of all that waste?”
  * Petra sighed and stood at your side, facing the heap with you. “I think that the metal sitting there has served a whole lot of good for a whole lot of people. I also think that I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for that metal.” You lowered your head and muttered, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” “Precisely.” She put her hands on your shoulders and turned you towards her. “I also think you feel guilty, but I know you could never be the cause for all that trash, and you are still dear to me regardless.”
  * You smiled up at her, “Thank you.” She nodded and kissed your forehead, “Let’s go get something to drink."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how I feel about some of the dialogue here. 1.) I don't know how to flirt. 2.) I don't quite have a handle on Oseram metaphors and phrases.


End file.
